ERIC WEIL: FRENCH HEGELIANISM AND THE QUESTION OF MEANING

Abstract

In this article we reflect on philosophy as a “science of meaning” as well as on the philosopher’s task based on Eric Weil’s thinking. To do so, we first return to Weil’s relationship with contemporary French philosophy and his role in introducing Hegel in France. Then, we follow his judgment on attempts to overcome Hegelianism, by examining his writings on existentialism and on Sartre, Alquié and Étiemble´s interpretations of Marx’s thought. Finally, we address the main question of Weilian philosophy: violence. Weil’s challenge is to think philosophy after the Hegelian discourse of the Absolute, on the one hand, and Hitler’s “total violence”, on the other. The relevance of the topic is justified by the very structure of our current political and intellectual scenario. Once again it is urgent to insist on the value of the philosopher’s effort to fight against violence.